Phonograph



J. M. LucARELLE |.r Al. 1,955,645

.April 17, 1934.

PHONOGRAPH Original Filed Sept. 29. 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l N VEN TORS e Mw ATTORNEY April 17, 1934. 1,955,645

J.' M. LUCARELLE ET AL PHoNoGRAPH Original Filed Sept. 29, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 imi April 17, 1934- J. M. LUCARELLE ET AL 1,955,645

PHONOGRAPH original Filed sept. 29, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR5 H BY TORNEY April 17, 1934. J. M. LUCARELLE x-:T AL 1,955,645

PHONQGRAPH Original Filed Sept. 29, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheei'I 4 7&2 9 S l L52 NNI ENTORS g '63 V @we BY//Sfl I RNEY April 17 1934 J. M. LUCARELLE ET AL 1,955,645

PHONOGRAPH Original Filed Sept. 29, 1925 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicr.

Bridgeport, Conn.,

assignors to Dictaphone Corporatiol'nl,l Bridgeport, Conn., a corporation of New York Application September 29, 1925, Serial No. 59,287 Renewed December 13, 1932 1s claims.

This invention relates to phonographic machines, and in a more specific aspect to machines for recording or reproducing dictation, or both, such machines being known as commercial phonographs.

An object of this invention is to provide improved means associated with the power operated driving means in such machines for mechanically back-spacing the stylus of such machines.

Another object of the invention is to provide means intermittently operated by the driving mechanism of such machines, which means may be manually controlled from a point remote from the phonograph, for causing the stylus to move backwardly over the record surface for a predetermined extent.

Another object of this invention is to provide a back-spacing mechanism on the carriage of the phonograph, and means to operate it on the frame of a phonograph, and a flexible connection between the said operating means and the said back-spacer, whereby the back-spacer may be operated in any of its longitudinal positions with respect of the same.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a power operated back-spacing mechanism which may be applied to pre-existing phonographs as an attachment.

And a still further object is to provide pneumatically operated means for controlling the power operated back-spacer, through which means the power operated back-spacer may be actuated or controlled from a point remote from the phonograph.

Anda still further object of this invention is to provide a manually operated device connected to the means for actuating the power operated back-spacer and adapted to be placed at a point remote from the phonograph, such device being adapted to be detachably mounted on a typewriter frame for quick and easy removal therefrom when desired, particularly when closing the typewriter desk.

And another object of the invention is to provide an improved holding means for the manually operable device, whereby the latter will be held in operative position against accidental or unintentional movement, and whereby the device may be moimted at either the right side or the left side of the typewriter or at the front of the typewriter as desired.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a phonograph of the transcriber type, showing the present invention applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the phonograph shown in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the phonograph, showing the back-spacer mechanism on the carriage and the mechanical flexible connection between the back-space mechanism and the power operated means for operating the backspace mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the power operated mechanism for backspacing the carriage, showing the exible, mechanical connection between the power operated means, which is mounted on the frame of the phonograph, and the backspacing mechanism, which is mounted on the carriage.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the power operated means shown in Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 4, but showing the parts in the positions they assume when the manually controlled trip of the power operated means has been operated to cause the power operated means to function.

Fig. '7 is a front view of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 6, v

Fig. 8 is a top plan view'of the parts in the positions they assume, as shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the power operated mechanism, showing the part of the peak of the back-space operation and before they are moved to inoperative position, preparatory to the next operation of the manually controlled trip.

Fig. l0 is a top plan View of the parts in the position shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the parts in the positions they assume in Figs. 9 and 10.

Fig. 12 shows a dictation machine of the transcriber type in side elevation, and a typewriter in front elevation, and illustrates the manner of mounting the manually operable means for controlling the trip of the power mechanism on the typewriter frame, the manually operable means being shown in dotted lines in the act of being moved from the typewriter.

Fig. 13 is a cross section view of the manually operable means and the cylinder and piston, which are mounted on the phonograph with its flexible conduit that connects the manually operable means with the cylinder and piston which operates the trip.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the clamping device which is used for holding the manually operable means in operative position on a typewriter frame.

While the commercial phonograph or dictation machine shown in the accompanying drawings is of the transcribing type, the invention is not limited to use in connection with this kind of a machine, but is also applicable to other machines, such as dictating machines and combined dictating and transcribing machines, also other phonographs.

The machine shown comprises a base 10, containing a driving motor 11 and speed governing mechanism. The top of the casing is constituted by a table 12 having formed integral therewith a housing 13 for supporting a mandrel 14 adapted to carry a record 15 which is to be reproduced.

The table 12 also has vertical standards 16, 17 and 17a between which there is mounted an upper guide rod 18 and a lower guide rod 19 adapted to control the travelling movements of a soundbox carriage 20 adapted to be moved over the record `15 to reproduce the sound recorded upon the record by the rotation or" a feed-screw 21 which is engaged by a nut 22 mounted on the carriage 29.

The mandrel 14 is mounted upon a shaft on whose end a movable clutch member 22 is pro-- vided. This clutch member 22 is adapted to cooperate with a clutch member 23 secured to a pulley 24 which is constantly rotated while the machine is in use by the motor l1 through a belt 25. In using the machine, the clutch member 22 is moved into and out of engagement with the continuously operating clutch member 23 by the operator through mechanism not shown and of no consequence in connection with the present invention. Suffice it to say, that even when the clutch member 22 is disengaged from the clutch member 23, the pulley 24 continues to operate, being at all times positively driven through the belt 25 by the motor 11.

It frequently occurs in the use of the machine that the operator desires to revert to a portion of the record just passed to verify the transcription or to again listen to something which was not entirely clear. To facilitate this, the machine is provided with a back-space mechanism comprising a key-lever 26 having a hub 27 carried by the sound-box carriage 20 and upon which is mounted a pawl 28 adapted to cooperate with a tooth rack 29 supported upon the standards 16 and 17 directly above the upper guide rod 18.

When the back-space key-lever 26 is depressed, the pawl 28 engages the rack 29 and forces the carriage backwardly, i. e. toward the left in Fig. 1. In its operation, the back-space key-lever 26 also raises the nut 22 from the feed-screw 21 to free the carriage therefrom for this back-spacing movement. It may or may not, as desired, raise the stylus from the record surface during this back-spacing movement, and so far as this invention is concerned, it is immaterial whether it does or not.

For a more complete understanding of the back-space mechanism above described, attention is called to the patent to Macdonald, #1,030,- '740, June 25, 1912 fully disclosing the same.

Since the operator is usually some distance from the machine, receiving the sound from the sound-box 3l) through a flexible tube 31 (Fig. 12), it is sometimes inconvenient to reach over to the phonograph to operate the back-space key-lever 26. To avoid the necessity of doing this, the present invention provides means, operated by the motor 1l, for actually performing the back-spacing operation. Preferably, this means is controlled from the typewriting machine, or other point remote from the phonograph, by a flexible device hereinafter more fully referred to.

To actually perform the back-spacing operation by power derived from the motor 11 through the pulley 24, there is provided mechanism cornprising one or more cams 32 mounted on the hub of the pulley and an interponent or coupler 33 between the cams 32 and the back-spacing mechanism. The coupler 33 is located at the side of the upright 16 and is mounted on a screw 34 in a bracket 35 having arms 36 and 37 embracing the standard or upright 16. The bracket 35 is held in operative position on the standard 16 by a setscrew 38. At its forward end, the interponent 33 is provided with an arm 39 having a slot 40 through which extends a lug 41 on an actuating lever 42, the slot 40 and the lug 4l coupling the interponent and the actuating lever 42 for pivotal movement together about the axis of the screw 34 on which the actuating lever 42 is also mounted.

It will be noted that there is sufficient clearance between the head of the screw 34 and the actuating lever 42, to allow the interponent to be swung horizontally out of range of the cams 32 into the position shown in Fig. l.

Normally, the interponent 33 is held in this position by means of a trip-lever pivoted at 44 to the arm 36 of the bracket 35, by reason of the engagement of the arm 39 oi the interponent 33 with a cam-shaped portion 45 on the'trlp-lever.

The trip-lever 43 is in the form of a bell crank, and has an operated arm 46 which may be moved by suitable means, such as will bc hereinafter described, actuated from a point remote from the phonograph. When the trip-lever is operated, its cam surface 45 is moved away from the arm 39 of the interponent 33 so as to allow the inter-- ponent to be swung horizontally on the screw 34 by means of a spring 47 located on a pin 48 mounted in the actuating lever 42. The spring is coniined between the head of the screw 43 and the arm 39 of the interponent 33 and normally tends to move the interponent so that its end 49 is in the path of the 32 as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. The trip-lever 43 is held in its released position until the interponent 33 begins to move by the engagement of the end of the trip-lever 43 with the end of the arm 39 on the interponent.

With the parts in these positions, the rotation of the pulley 24, brings the cams 32 into engagement with the end 49 of the interpellent, which causes the interponent with the actuating lever 42 to be rocked. This rocking movement of the actuating lever is utilized to back-space the carriage, as will hereinafter appear.

After the interponent 33 has been swung downwardly by engagement with the cams E! the end of the arm 39 is moved away from the end of the cam surface 45, at which time, the trip-lever 43` is drawn rearwardly to the positions shown in Figs. 9, l0, and 1l, by a spring 50 having one end attached to the trip-lever 43 and the other end attached to the lug 41 on the actuating lever 42. This movement of the trip-lever brings the cam surface 45 directly under the end of the arm 39 so that when the cams 32 release the end 49 of the interponent 33 and the actuating lever 42 and interponent 33 are returned to their normal positions, shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the end of the interponent will be swung horizontally by engagement of the arm 39 with the cam surface 45. In this position, the end 49 is out of the path of the cams 32, see Fig. 1, and the parts are ready to be again operated when desired.

The connection between the actuating lever 42 and the back-space mechanism, according to the present invention, preferably comprises a flexible mechanical connection such as a Bowdenwire. This form of mechanism is shown in the drawings and comprises an inner element 51 having a head 52 secured to the actuating lever 42. At its other end, which reaches from the side of the phonograph to the carriage, the inner element 51 is provided with a head 53 passing through a hole 54 in an arm 55 secured tothe hub 27 of the back-space mechanism by screws 56. The head 53 is provided with a bead or flange 57 which, when the inner element is operated, engages the arm 55 and causes the hub 27 of the back-space mechanism to be operated in the same manner as if the key of the back-space mechanism had been manually depressed. The arm 55 is engaged at only one side by the bead or flange 57 so that if the operator desires to operate the back-space mechanism by hand, depression of the key and movement of the arm 55 will be permitted without causing the Bowdenwire element 51 to'be operated. The outer element 58 of the Bowden-wire is preferably anchored to the carriage by means of a bracket 59 embracing an arm 60 of the carriage and held thereto by set screws 61. At its other end, -Which is located adjacent the end of the phonograph in proximity to the actuating lever 42, the outer element 58 of the Bowden-wire is provided with a sleeve 62 threaded in a bracket 63 which is secured to the siderof a phonograph. The sleeve 62 is held in adjusted position by means of a locknut 64. The bracket 63 is held to the side frame of the phonograph by a screw 65 entering a preexisting threaded hole in the side frame and also serving another and usual purpose in addition to holding the bracket 63 to the frame.

It was above stated that the interponent 33 and actuating lever 42 return to their normal positions after the cams 32 leave the end 49 of the interponent. The means for doing this comprises a coil spring 66 located between the bracket 59 and thehead 53 of the Bowden-wire element and normally urges the head 53 forwardly drawing with it the inner element 51 of the Bowdenwire s o as to pull the end adjacent the actuating lever 42 rearwardly. This movement is transmitted through the lug 41 to the interponent 33.

`It should be carefully noted that all of the mechanism described, with the exception of the cams 32 on the pulley 24 and the arm 55 on the hub 27, may be mounted on the phonograph as parts of an attachment. For instance, the bracket 35 embraces the standard 16 and is attached thereto without any mechanical connections other than the set screw which is mounted in the bracket; the bracket 63 is held to the frame by a screw 65 entering a preexisting threaded hole; and the bracket 59 is held to the arm 60 of the carriage by set screws 61. Hence, to place the present invention upon a phonograph, it is merely necessary to apply the three brackets in the places indicated, substitute a new pulley with cams 32 thereon for the regularly supplied pulley, and substitute a new hub 27 with its arm 55 for that previously pro-vided. Thus, it will be seen that the present invention may be applied to preexisting phonographs as an attachment, withoutnecessitating structural changes in the phonograph.

The arm 46 of the trip-lever 43 may be operated by any suitable remote control device. According 'to the present invention, however, it is preferable that this remote control device comprise pneumatically operating means comprising a cylinder 67 secured to the bracket 35 in which there is located a piston 68 having a pin69 adapted to engage the arm 46 of the trip-lever 43. Preferably, the head of the pin 69 is made round, and the arm 46 is provided with a hookshaped portion 70, forming a round dwell, so that when the pin is driven rearwardly, it cams the arm 46 upwardly until the pin is located in the dwell of the hook-shaped portion 70, whereupon the arm 46 is locked in operated position until the pin 69 is positively withdrawn. The cylinder 67 and piston 68 are shown in crosssection in Fig. 12, in which figure there is also shown a screw-threaded connection 71 provided between the cylinder 67 and a flexible hose 72 which may be of any suitable length, preferably sufiicient to reach to a typewriting machine.

At the typewriter end,`the hose 72 is provided with a nipple 73 engaging a cylinder 74 in which there is located a piston 75 adapted to be engaged by a stem 76 of a key 77. When the key 77 is depressed, the piston 75 is forced downwardly in the cylinder 74 to expel the air therefrom and force the expelled air through a tube 72 to the cylinder 67 whereupon the piston 68 is forced outwardly of the cylinder to operate the trip-lever 43. When the pressure is relieved from the key 77, a spring 78 located in the cylinder, forces the piston and key upwardly, which movement tends to create a vacuum in the cylinder 78, hose 72 and cylinder 67, and hence, the atmospheric pressure on the piston 68 returns it to normal position, releasing the trip-lever 43.

The key 77 with its stem 76 and piston 75, have their upward positions limited'by theengagement of a flange 79 upon the stem 76 with a collar 8O inwardly extending from a cap 81 which closes the upper end of the cylinder 74.

In returning to normal position, the piston 75 tends to create air pressure between it and the cap 81. This pressure is relieved by providing an air vent 82 in the cap 81 which also communicates with the interior of the cylinder. When the piston is opposite the air vent, communication with the interior is provided by placing an air vent 83 in the wall of the piston.

The cylinder 74 may be mounted in any suitable manner and may have any suitable exterior shape. According to the present invention, the cylinder 74 is supported in operative position on a typewriter by a holding device 84. This holding device comprises a clamp 85 in the form of a channel adapted to embrace part of the typewriter, for instance, the frame 86 which surrounds the key board, and is provided with Aa set screw 87 for holding it in desired position on vthe typewriter frame. Secured to the clamp 85 is a frame 88 comprising a bottom support 89 and spaced arms 90 which extend outwardly from the clamp and are adapted to embrace the cylinder 74. A sufficient space is provided between the adjacent arms 90 so as to allow the nipple 73 of the pipe 72 to pass between them when the cylinder or key operating device is slipped downwardly between the arms 90. The arms 90 are also sufciently spaced from the bottom support 89, so that after the cylinder 74 is located in the holding device with its bottom in engagement with the bottom 89, the cylinder may be rotated to bring the screw nipple 73 under either of the arms 90 to lock the cylinder or key operated device in the holding device against accidental removal.

It will be seen that with this construction, the key 79 may be mounted in any suitable place on a typewriter and may be placed on either side of the typewriter, because of the fact that the holding device is universal. This arrangement is extremely advantageous, for it permits the keyoperated device, that is, the cylinder 74 and parts connected therewith, to be easily and quick- 1y removed from the support on the typewriter without the use of tools. Such a removal of the key-operated device is advantageous, because in many cases the typewriter is mounted in a desk provided with a drop-head or other movable platform which may be swung to lower the typewriter and bring the top of the desk into operative position. In such cases, the tube 'Z2 would unquestionably be in the way and would either be compressed and ultimately damaged by the top or would prevent the top from being located in proper position. By providing a quick and easy detachment of the key-operated device from the typewriter, this diiiicultyis avoided, for the keyoperated device may be removed from the typewriter very easily, as indicated in Fig. 12, thereupon leaving the typewriter free to be moved in its desk as desired.

Variations may be made within the scope of this invention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:

1. The combination in a phonograph of a frame, a sound-box carriage movably mounted thereon, carriage backspacing means mounted on the carriage, actuating means mounted on the frame, a Bowden wire constituting an operative connection between the actuating means and the backspacing means, control means located at a point remote from the phonograph, and an operative connection between said control means and said actuating means so that backspacing movement of the carriage may be controlled from the remote control point.

2. The combination in a phonograph of a frame, a carriage movably mounted on said frame, means on the carriage for effecting backspacing movement of the carriage, actuating means on the frame, a flexible power transmitting connection between the actuating means and the backspacing means, control means located at a point remote from the phonograph, and an operative connection between said control means and said actuating means so that backspacing movement of the carriage may be controlled by the remote control means.

A3. In a dictating machine, the combination of a frame; a traveling sound-box carriage mounted on said frame; a back-spacing device for the carriage comprising a lever mounted on the carriage; a power operated movement imparting device mounted on the said dictating machine frame; and a flexible mechanical connection between said lever mounted on the traveling soundbox carriage and the movement imparting device.

4. In a dictating machine, the combination of a frame; a travelingsound-box carriage mounted on said frame; a back-spacing device for the carriage comprising a lever mounted on the carriage; a power operated movement imparting device mounted on the said dictating machine frame;

I and a Bowden-wire element between the lever mounted on the traveling sound-box carriage and the movement imparting device.

5. In a dictating machine, the combinationof a frame; a traveling sound-box carriage; a backspace key mounted on the carriage; an arm attached to the back-space key; and a Bowden-wire device having one element anchored to the carriage and another element having a pin-and-slot engagement with the said arm.

6. In a dictating machine, the combination of a frame; a traveling sound-box carriage; a backspace key mounted on the carriage; an arm attached to the back-space key; a Bowden-wire device having one element anchored to the carriage and another element having a pin-and-slot engagement with the said arm.

7. In a dictating machine, the combination of a frame; a traveling sound-box carriage; a backspace key mounted on the carriage; an arm attached to the back-space key; a Bowden-wire device having one element anchored to the carriage and another element having a pin-and-slot engagement with the said arm; and a bracket removably attached to the carriage for anchoring the one element of the Bowden-wire to the carriage.

S. In a phonograph, a sound-box carriage; a source of power; means indirectly actuated by said source of power for moving the carriage in a returning direction; an interponent to couple the power means and the means for moving the carriage; and means for controlling the interponent comprising a pneumatically operated device.

9. In a phonograph, a sound-box carriage; a source of power; means indirectly actuated by said source of power for moving the carriage in a returning direction; an interponent to couple the power means and the means for moving the carriage; and means for controlling the interponent comprising a cylinder and piston and a trip device operated by the piston.

10. In a phonograph, a sound-box carriage; a source of power; means indirectly actuated by said source of power for moving the carriage in a returning direction; an interponent to couple the power means and the means for moving the carriage; a trip device for controlling the interponent; a cylinder and piston for operating the trip device; a cylinder and piston located at a point remote from the phonograph; and an air conduit between the rst-named cylinder and piston and the last-named cylinder and piston whereby air pressure produced by the last-named cylinder and piston will cause movement of the first-named piston to operate the trip device.

11. In a phonograph, a sound-box carriage; a source of power; means indirectly actuated by said source of power for moving the carriage in a returning direction; an interponent to couple the power means and the means for moving the carriage; and means for controlling the interponent comprising a manually operated pneumatic device located at a point remote from the phonograph.

12. A remote control device for phonographs comprising a housing; a bracket for supporting the housing for rotating movement, comprising encircling arnm and a supporting bottom; and means on the housing adapted when rotated to be locked under said encircling arms with the bottom of the housing resting on the bottom of the supporting device.

13. A remote control device for phonographs comprising a housing; and a support for the housing comprising side-supporting means and a bottom, said side-supporting means being spaced from the bottom and having a passage through which means on the housing may pass, said housing being movable in said support to lock the housing through the support against accidental or unintentional removal.

14. In a phonograph, a frame therefor; a sound-box carriage traveling thereon; back-space mechanism on the carriage comprising a backspace pawl and a cooperating rack mounted on the frame; means on said carriage carrying said pawl; operating means mounted on the phonograph frame; and a Bowden-wire element constituting an operative connection between the operating means on the frame and the said means carrying said back-space pawl on the carriage.

15. A remote control device for phonographs comprising a housing; Va bracket for supporting said housing comprising encircling arms and a supporting bottom; and means on the housing adapted to be locked under said encircling arms with the bottom of the housing resting on the bottom of the supporting device.

16. In a dictating machine, the combination of a frame; a traveling sound-box carriage, power means for producing carriage movement, a backspace key mounted on the carriage; an arm attached to the back-space key; a Bowden-wire device having one element connected to the carriage and another element having operative engagement to the said arm, and means operable by said power means for causing said Bowden-wire to actuate said back-space key.

17. In a phonograph, the combination of a frame, a continuously moving member mounted on said frame, an actuating lever mounted on said frame, an interponent between said actuating lever and said member, a traveling sound-box carriage mounted on said frame, a backspacing lever mounted on said carriage, and a flexible mechanical connection between said lever mounted on the carriage and said actuating lever mounted on the frame.

18. In a phonograph, the combination of a frame, a continuously moving member mounted on said frame, an actuating lever mounted on said frame, an interponent between said actuating lever and said member, a traveling soundbox carriage mounted on said frame, a backspacing lever mounted on said carriage, and a Bowden-wire element between the said lever mounted on the carriage and said actuating lever mounted on the frame.

JOSEPH M. LUCARELLE. JOHN E. RENHOLDT. 

